Light vehicles allowed on Kashmir highway after 8 days closure

Srinagar, Mar 19 (UNI) Traffic on the 300-km-long Srinagar-Jammu national highway was partially allowed today after remaining suspended for eight days, official sources said.

They said light vehicles were allowed to leave from Jammu this morning on trial basis after the landslides were cleared near Penthal.

A passenger Aijaz Ahmad told UNI over phone from Banihal after crossing Penthal, the most troubled spot on the highway, that it was heavily raining on the highway.

He said trucks, loaded with essential commodities, which also left Jammu this morning, were stopped few km beyond Penthal to enable vehicles carrying passengers to cross the landslides prone area.

Mr Aijaz said more than two hundred light vehicles reached Banihal this afternoon.

Sources said fresh rains today have again triggered shooting stones. However, the Border Roads Organisation, in charge of the highway maintenance, were on the job.

The Kashmir valley remained cut off the for eight days after the Srinagar-Jammu national highway -- the life line of Kashmir -- was closed due to landslides and shooting stones.

However, light X X X here picking up from para two of DR 4 ''Weather-Kashmir-highway'' UNI